Lee Enfield accuracy?

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I have shot sub-MOA groups (100 yds) from a No4Mk1 ('43) with issue sights and milsurp. The guys at the range were most surprised, as was I. :dancingbanana:

From some of the comments here, I guess some of us have lucked out.
 
Gary D said:
Elliot, 2 groove rifling is specific to the No.4 rifle as a wartime expedient measure and was approved about the same time as the mk1 became the mk1* although there is no real connection between the two. All ShtLE and No.1s are 5 groove.
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Mostly true, except:
Many of the 1940s BSA SMLE "dispersal" rifles have 4 groove barrels. I've seen '42-'44 with 4 groove barrels.
 
goldidig said:
Hi Guys, I own quite a few of these great rifles and have been shooting them for 30 years, but I never tried one with a scope before. I picked up a full wood 1918 No1Mk3 in a trade Friday that had an awesome bore and was scoped but un-bubba'd other than that. So off to the range I went. With my .308 diameter 150 grain flat based spire point Hornady bullet handloads, I grouped as small as 1 inch at 150 yards and 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards! :eek: Now before anyone jumps on me and says you can't use 308 diameter bullets in these guns because they'll shoot inaccurate, I do and have been doing it for many years! I load .308 diameter bullets and have NO accuracy issues in tight unworn .303 bores! For that matter I use them in Russian Mosin Nagants as well, but that's another story. I was shocked at how accurate this rifle is though. I really never shot a Milsurp that was that accurate except for my 6.5 Swedes. I am used to 2 to 3 inch groups with iron sights at 75 to 100 yards being a good group with my Lee Enfields with either .311 diameter or .308 diameter bullets. I really can't see any difference at all in accuracy out of my guns with either size bullet. Is this the exception to the rule or is this normal for a scoped, excellent bore, Lee Enfield? Just wondering what kind of accuracy you guys have found with these rifles?
Al
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I recently scoped my No5Mk1 with Leupold 2x7 mounted on an S&K no drill mount. My handloaded ammo clocked in at 2400 fps and consistently shot under an inch at 100 yds with two different bullet weights. I have also tried .308 diameter bullets in my No5,they shot straight without keyholing.Now that I know it shoots very well,I'm not sure if I want to take the scope off........:eek:
 
Lee Enfield said:
Mostly true, except:
Many of the 1940s BSA SMLE "dispersal" rifles have 4 groove barrels. I've seen '42-'44 with 4 groove barrels.
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Oops, I stand corrected, that's right too. Although if you wanted to get technical you could still hang your hat on the statement "All ShtLE's were 5 groove." And FWIW, yes Long Branch did put out a few 6 groove No4's as well. Just missed getting my hands on one too.
 
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I've got a bubba'd No5 Mk1 that I bought off the EE that consistently groups just the tiniest bit over 1" at 100 yards off the bench. Very nice for such a light, handy package. I must be lucky with my LE's because I havent hit one yet that groups as badly as all the rhetoric about these old rifles.
 
Good to hear some positive press for the old rifles. According to some "experts", you are in danger of shooting yourself in the back with these wildly inaccurate rifles. Nearly all the gun writers trot out the varying bore diameters, and of course, the obligatory "wandering zero" of the No. 5. Given a decent rifle, a good shot can run right up there with the big dogs. I wouldn't dare complain about my Enfields, as I don't consider myself a "good" shot. Great old rifles.......:p:p
 
I've heard 2 things about accuracy and Lee Enfields and I'm wondering if anyone has any comments. The 2 things I've heard are 1) flat based bullets are more likely to be accurate and 2) Always load to the same OAL as military ball (specifically MkVIIz)
 
I've owned several over the years, all of them shot what I would call "good" (inch and a half or better), and one of them (a 2 groove that I still own) is a superbly accurate piece of gear wiith ammo it likes (though it is somewhat picky). It typically groups down around the 0.60 inch range at 100 meters from a cold barrel, with bullets 1 and 2 going in more/less the same hole, and bullet 3 about 1/2 an inch to the right - so often, that when it doesn't do that, I assume it's my shooting thats a bit off that day. :)

If I let the barrel get hot, or feed it ammo it doesn't like - it can make some pretty nasty looking patterns, though.
 
Ian, you're right about the flat based bullets from what I have seen. I use flat based bullets in all my loads. They definitely shoot supreme in these guns. I don't pay much attention to the overall length though. I just don't let the rounds EXCEED the specified overall length. I've always seated the bullets in the cases to where I felt was appropriate. I am no professional reloader! :D I've loaded everything from 130 grain hollow points up to 170's and they all shoot just great. The 130's were really short compared to ball ammo but functioned just great.
I guess from some of the posts I am reading in this thread, there's more than one Lee Enfield out there that is shooting pretty darned good groups. Definitely these guns have had a bad rap when it comes to accuracy!
Al!
 
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I use h414 powder for my reloads and other than going to 385 for one batch i have found these loads to do very well. i find that the fmj work better in my gun than the lead tip ones.
 
It wasn't a big issue for me SavageFan, as I just use a simple neck resizing Lee handloader kit for reloading. I just simply squeeze the neck of the resized cartridge( somewhat distorting it just a tiny bit) and then insert the bullet by hand until it reaches the cannelure. Then I crimp it using the crimping end of the die. That small distortion of the neck holds the bullet in place just great, until I crimp it. Not fancy or high tech by any means but it works! :D
Al
 
Best accuracy with a totally-stock original rifle I have had, so far, is exactly an inch at 110 yards, shooting the Sierra 180 flatbase ahead of 37 grains of 4895.... not a heavy load at all. Slugs were seated to mimic the factory Mark 7 Ball round, which crowds the rifling just a tad with the Sierra bullet.

Rifle is a completely-original, never sportered, never screwed-up National Rifle Factory Short Lee-Enfield Mark III*, built 1918, all numbers matching. I haven't even pulled it apart to check the bedding. Heck, with accuracy like that, who cares, anyway?

You are very right about the flatbase bullets: Enfield rifling tends not to like boat-tails.

The minimum bore for the LE was supposed to be .301", so likely yours is real close to that. You have a real keeper; it should be kept hidden away from people like me! Just use it to whup us!

Have fun always!
 
I have always used the .312 bullets in mine. I consider anything under 3" @ 100 yd to be quite accurate. P-14's generally do much better, same loads. Now I'll have to try some .308 pills. I often use .32 cal 85 gr (.312 diam) bullets for a plinking load. At 50 yds it's like shooting a .22 and just as accurate as the 174 gr that I use normally. I'm also trying out cast bullets so I can afford to shoot more often. They are looking quite promising.
 
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